Once Upon Another Dream
by Jane Colfer
Summary: This is my first story so please don't be mean!Basically, Nuada and Aurora meet in the forest and fall in love. Their families don't want this union so how can it survive? And what about when Nuada finds out that Aurora is human? NuadaXAurora
1. Chapter 1

_**Once Upon Another Dream**_

Mysterious Wood sprite:

Nuada picked up his silver spear and strapped it onto his back.

It was a bright day in Bethmora and the Prince was not about to pass up the opportunity to escape the boredom of the palace. He loved his home very much, but when you're a Prince who has to learn about politics, combat, battle strategies and many other various things that not only makes you're head hurt but also you're body, you have to savour those moments of blissful peace. Besides, he could normally sneak in and out of the palace without anyone noticing, well anyone except…

"So, off out again are we?"

He groaned, turning to face his sister who was leaning nonchalantly against the door.

"Nuala, how do you do that? How is it you always where I am and where I am going?"

"Siblings know everything." She said, tapping the side of her nose. Nuada raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I am going out. I need to get outside for a bit." He bent down to do his long black leather boots.

"Father wants you in today," Nuada looked up, surprised. "You have potential brides coming to visit, remember?"

"Ohhh…" Nuada sighed heavily. Then looked up, a grin on his face. "Nuala," He said craftily. "Do you still want me to teach you that Cresh move?"

Her eyes lit up first in confusion, then understanding.

"I never saw you?"

Nuada smiled, giving his sister a peck on the cheek as he passed her.

"You never saw me."

He wandered through the forest, feeling the gentle breeze on his cheeks. Nuada was happy now. He would go to his favourite training spot, practise for about an hour then start heading home. He could have a whole hour of peace, no schooling, no politics, and no annoying girls trying to get his affection. Just complete and utter…

"I wonder… I wonder…"

Nuada froze.

What a beautiful voice! He had never heard singing like that before. But who could it be?

"…I wonder why each little bird has a someone…"

He started towards the voice. Where was it coming from? He had to know.

"…To sing to_…"_

The voice was getting fainter, NO! He couldn't lose it now!

"...Sweet things to_…"_

He was running… running… dead end!

"…A gay little's lark's melody_…"_

The voice was too far away now. He couldn't get to it.

Nuada shook his head. It must have been some mysterious wood sprite or something.

Here he was, his special training spot. It was a small glen with a stream and several trees.

He took off his shirt, stood in the stream and extended the spear to its full length. He went through all the basic movements and some more complicated tactics, the cool water splashing onto his naked skin. He felt free and content.

He froze in a crouch, his spear extended behind him. Nuada had the strange feeling he was being watched. Had Nuala followed him here?

He stood up… and he saw who was watching him!

Higher up the hill, was a girl?

A very pretty girl, with hair as gold as sunshine, lips as red as a rose, she watched him intently, a gentle smile playing on her lips. Her arms were leaning on top of a basket and several birds and other animals were on the branch of the tree she was resting on.

Their eyes met and Nuada never wanted to leave her gaze. Then she broke eye contact and turned. She was soon out of sight.

And Nuada was running again! There was no way he was going to let the best moment of his life just walk away!

He was stubborn like that.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Just a dream**_

Aurora wandered happily through the woods, singing a little tune as she went.

She often sang to herself when she was alone, music comforted her. It allowed her to express her heart. But no one else understood that. Her aunts, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather, believed that whilst it was good for a young lady to be musically gifted, she should concentrate on her studies and her countenance.

Aurora giggled. She didn't even know what the word countenance meant!

Aunt Flora said it was something to do with appearance but Aurora couldn't see how she could improve her appearance. She wasn't boastful; everyone said she was the most beautiful girl in the world. But then again: everyone was her three Aunts and her animal friends.

She sighed.

"What I would give just to meet another person! Anyone!" Aurora was so lonely. She had her Aunts and the animals but she felt so cast out. The world didn't know who she was… and didn't care.

She walked around the forest, her basket now full with ripe purple berries.

Why did her Aunts have such a craving for berries all of a sudden? They practically shoved her out of the door just to get some! They had been acting very strange lately. Perhaps it was something to do with her sixteenth birthday…

"WHO! WHO!" She looked up. The owl was flying towards her.

"Hello, you look exited today! What's happened?" Then suddenly all of the animals were crowding around her. The squirrels, the rabbits, the birds, all of them! They were making such a racket that Aurora wasn't sure where to start.

"What's happening? What's going on?"

Then they all started to move her forward, the birds pulling at her fingers and the rabbits pushing her feet.

"All right, all right. I'm coming." Aurora was bewildered.

They kept tugging her forward until they reached the hill overlooking the castle and the glen below that.

"Well, what do you want to show…"

Her eyes widened.

Down below in the glen… was a person! She may not have met anyone other than her Aunts but Aurora was intelligent enough to see that it was a man. A beautiful man! His skin was white as snow with long blonde hair. He was doing what looked like a complicated dance with a long silver stick! How strange, and how wonderful. She rested her arms on her basket, a smile on her red lips.

Then he froze… and looked up! Their eyes met!

He has the most beautiful eyes! Even from here Aurora could see them, such a colour she could hardly describe!

She sighed and turned away.

"I must be dreaming. Someone so perfect can't be real." She walked back through the forest, her heart heavy with the false hope the illusion had raised.

"It was just a dream."


	3. Chapter 3

_**The Trouble with Being Royalty**_

Nuada walked through the castle courtyard.

He had lost the girl again. She just seemed to disappear; he was beginning to wonder if she had even existed.

"NUADA!" He looked up to see Nuala rushing towards him. "Father... he didn't believe that I didn't know where you were... he made me tell him... I'm so sorry..."

"NUADA! What do you think you are doing?" Nuada saw his father coming towards him and he bowed.

"Father I can explain..."

"You had better do!" He yelled. "Do you realise how humiliating it was to have to apologise to all those dukes and lords because my son had not turned up to choose his own bride? I was counting on you Nuada, this is your future!" Nuada stood up and looked his father in the eye.

"If it is my future then why are you planning it? Don't I get a say in this?"

"That was the point of today! You were going to have your say on whom you want as a bride..."

"And I had to choose from a group selected by you!" The king was taken aback by his son's outburst. "If, during all the time I had spent at those events and occasions when I had to meet with all those girls, I had actually met someone I would consider taking as a wife then I would have told you! I never did! You are still trying to control my life just like you always have done! How do you know I even want to get married? How do you know I even want to be king? You don't! You know why? BECAUSE YOU NEVER ASK!" With that he stormed away towards the castle.

The king watched his only son walk away from him. He sat down on the steps leading to the great hall. Nuala sat down next to him, taking his hand in her own.

"Father, he is just under pressure. He will come around, just give him some time."

The king said nothing, just squeezed his daughter's hand.

That night, no matter how hard he tried Nuada just couldn't get to sleep.

The only thing on his mind was the beautiful girl and her even more beautiful voice. She was an angel. She haunted his mind and would not leave him alone.

He sat up, holding his head in his hands and trying to understand what was happening.

It was one look. He saw her once. So why was he becoming obsessed with her? He didn't even know her name.

He got up and went to the window, staring out at the full moon.

"I have to know who you are. I have to know your name. I need to know if you are real."

While Nuada watched the moon and thought about the beautiful girl, Aurora watched the moon and thought about the beautiful man.

She had been thinking about him all day. It was impossible to get him out of her head. Aurora had been so occupied with him that she almost ignored her aunts. As a result they were getting quite concerned about her because she kept going off into daydreams. Such wonderful daydreams...

She shook her head. He wasn't even real! He couldn't be.

She looked up and sighed.

"You are a stranger of my imagination. So why am I falling in love with you?"


End file.
